NOTABLE COLUMBIANS

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NOTABLE COLUMBIANS
W. B. Smith Whaley.
By Helen Kohn Hennig.
The man who is credited with hav tendency towards the development of
ing done more to make of Columbia the communities where this money is]
a manufacturing center than any expended."
other individual who ever lived here.
Mr. Kohn further shows that the
was born May 24. 1866, in Charles Granby Cotton mills had an annual
ton. W. B. Smith Whaley was the payroll of $135.000 while Olympia pay
on of W. B. and Helen S. Whaley. roll amounted to $246,000, and RichHis educational advantages included land's was $84.000. It is easy to realize
work at the Citadel. Bingham. Stevens what the circulation of this money
Institute of Technology at Hoboken. meant to the growing city of Co
W. J., and Cornell university, from lumbia and what a tremendous and
which he graduated in 1888.
potent force it became in the economic
Mr. Whaley came to Columbia while development.
yet a young man and immediately
At the time of Mr. Whaley's death
became interested in the possibilities of he was a practical mechanical engi
cotton mills in this locality. He first neer, with offices in the Whitehall
built, in 1895, the Richland mill, with building in New York City. He was
26.000 spindles. Five years later he considered an outstanding authority
added Granby mill, with 55.000 soin- on internal combustion engines and
dles, and then Olympia, with 100.320 thermo-dynamics.
In 1890 Mr. Whaley was married to
spindles, which for many years enioyed the distinction of being the Isabel Elliott, the daughter of Col.
largest cotton mill under one roof in William Elliott and his wife. Isabel
the world. Such a record concentrated Barnwell Elliott. A handsome man,
the attention of the manufacturing six feet one, of vivid personality,
world on Columbia. If in no other more than ready to meet his friends
way. Mr. Whaley did a tremendous halfway. Mr. Whaley was noted as
service to this city by awakening the a host who really enjoyed entertain
city itself and the world at large to ing. To him it was not a task but a
the remarkable facilities here for the delightful experience to see his home
filled with guests.
successful manufacture of cotton.
A very unusual thing happened at
About 1904 he went into other
fields, living in Oklahoma, then in the time that Mr. Whaley died.
His step-mother, who made her i
Boston, then in New York. Several
years ago he did an unusually fine home with him in Larchmont. N. Y., l
piece of work in developing a new died on the morning of April 16. 1929,
cycle for gasoline engines and the while Mr. Whaley died the same
Joint funeral services
Sun Shipbuilding company of Ches afternoon.
ter. Pa., secured the rights to the in were held for the two.
Mr. Whaley had written a memo
vention, and while the engine is not
yet on the iMrket commercially, it randum in which he requested that
has been test iff sufficiently to insure no stone marker he erected to his
its oracticability and its adaotibility. memory. He felt that a man's work
M.-. Whaley had very advanced should be his memorial and that his
Idecs in regard to thp education of [ memorial wys in the mills here.
his mill employes.
August Kohn \ Surviving Mr. Whaley were his
states in his "Cotton Mills of South , widow, four sons. William B. S., Wil
Carolina." ''I beHtve that it is safe to liam E. and John of New York. Wai
say that the first kindergarten work ter T. of the United States army,
done in Anderson county or in Co Mrs. John T. Sloan. Jr. of Columbia,
lumbia was in Pelzer and the Whaley and Mrs. Herschel Murdaugh of Co
Mills, respectively."
He further lumbus, Ga.
In addition to Mrs. Sloan, Colum
shows that there were in 1906 heavy
investments made in school buildings bia is fortunate enough to have three
by Mr. Whaley's three mills in Co grandchildren. John T. Sloan, Jr., Isa
lumbia, although the greater number bel W. Sloan and Frances Sloan. here.
Although Mr. Whaley was not born
of the children attended the schools
in Columbia, as much as any man he
in Columbia.
"The cotton mills that W. B. S. used his progressive ideas and his
ley built In Columbia started a fearless courage for the upbuilding
^M substantial boom in the capi- of this city. H* invested his fortune.!
il tiny,'and so it has been in every in the mills which have brought a
part of the state. The cotton mills measure of industrial glory to this
have brought prosperity without city. It has been said by many au
thorities that the firm foundation on
hurt.
"When it is considered that the cot which Columbia now rests is directly
ton mills in this state pay out an traceable to the cotton mills, which
nually in the neighborhood of $12.000,- began to distribute money in the com
000 for labor alone (this was written munity. If this be true, William B.
in 1907). it must be appreciated that Smith Whaley has been a real power
this money has to go into circulation for good, and for his vision, his cour
and it is curtain as a simple economic age, and his strong building, we salute
proposition to have a considerable him as a notable Columbian.
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